Chapter 18: Little Hongtang Brings the Meal
Chapter 18: Little Hongtang Brings the Meal
Indeed!
As long as a person is alive, their body continuously generates warmth, or what is known as yang energy.
So, Second Master’s technique is quite straightforward: it involves accumulating this yang energy and channeling it into one’s “furnace.”
The more vigorous the furnace burns, the stronger and more robust a person becomes, with an abundance of yang energy, making them less susceptible to evil spirits. Even the flesh of the evil deity, known for its nourishing properties, can significantly boost one’s yang energy, ensuring the furnace burns brightly.
But what if a person, without consuming the flesh of the evil deity, has no yang energy at all?
They would be dead!
Only the dead are cold to the touch, devoid of any warmth.
Not only would it be impossible to use their usual warmth to fuel the furnace, but the fire already burning in the furnace might even extinguish.
...
Hu Ma understood all of this, and the realization sent a shock through him.
He realized his problem: the vigorous fire in his furnace last night was just an illusion.
The reason he could easily ignite the furnace and keep his body warm was because of the flesh of the evil deity he had consumed, which provided the necessary yang energy.
However, once that yang energy was depleted and the flesh fully digested, he was back to his original state...
This body generates no heat at all.
According to Second Master, it’s the body of a dead person.
This body remains cold and not only fails to produce new heat but also consumes the fire in the furnace until he eats more flesh, like the valuable green flesh of the evil deity, to warm up again.
Only then can he continue to guide the heat into his furnace.
"So, why did I suddenly wake up freezing in the early morning?"
He had a vague idea: "Because I didn’t eat the meat the old lady gave me all day yesterday."
Once he stopped eating that meat, his body became cold.
Not only did it fail to replenish the fire in the furnace, but it gradually consumed the existing fire.
What would happen if the fire in the furnace were to burn out completely?
Hu Ma didn’t even dare to imagine.
...
...
"Alright, you have a lot to learn, so let’s take it one step at a time."
Second Master, unaware of Hu Ma’s thoughts, urged him to finish the meat in his bowl and then left the main hall.
After eating the bowl of green flesh, Hu Ma felt everything was back to normal.
He couldn’t detect any difference between his current state and his previous life. He felt as energetic and warm as ever.
Moreover, he could easily perform the technique Second Master taught him last night, channeling the continuous flow of yang energy from his body into his abdominal furnace.
He felt no different from the other young boys around him.
Or rather, his condition should be much better, considering they only get a small amount of white flesh each day.
He, on the other hand, had just consumed a large bowl of green flesh.
But...
...sigh!
The only thing he couldn’t understand was the reason behind this state.
Was it due to some issue with his original body, or because of his status as a reincarnated soul?
...
...
"You all follow Second Master to learn the skills of worshiping the evil deity, to earn money and start a family."
Second Master, now gathered with the young boys, shouted, "But I have little to teach you. The first step is to light the furnace. Without it, you can’t join the flesh-cutting team, but lighting the furnace is just the beginning."
"You need to run in the mountains, bask in the sun, and practice your techniques. The stronger your body, the more yang energy you have, the braver you become, and the more vigorously your furnace will burn..."
"Of course, the best is to eat the flesh of the evil deity, but even I can’t afford it, so don’t even think about it."
"..."
Second Master made no effort to hide his disdain for the group of young boys but paused and added, "So, the key to learning skills from Second Master is to endure hardship, be patient, and most importantly, don’t think about women."
"Enduring hardship makes your body strong, your yang energy abundant, and your courage and determination fierce. A butcher can even ward off evil spirits with such qualities."
"In my care, I don’t mind if you’re tough or if you fight. We have plenty of black ointment, but the one thing I fear is that you can’t control your urges and start thinking about women at a young age. We live outside the village to avoid such distractions."
"Sigh, for your sakes, I don’t even dare to keep sheep..."
"Alright, today we’ll practice our techniques, and then we’ll patrol the forest with Second Master!"
"..."
The boys cheered, their youthful energy making Hu Ma envious.
But with his mind elsewhere, how could he have the heart to join in the festivities?
"Little Hu Ma, come over here..."
But Second Master was oblivious to Hu Ma’s distracted state. Seeing him standing there, lost in thought, he assumed Hu Ma was struggling to keep up and fit in. He smiled and beckoned him over. "Don’t be afraid, this is simple. Just give it a few tries, and you’ll get the hang of it..."
"Um..."
Hu Ma wasn’t particularly interested, but he had no choice but to step forward. Just as he was thinking of what to say, a faint, ethereal voice echoed in his ear:
"Big Brother Hu Ma, I’ve brought you some food..."
"..."
"Xiao Hong Tang?"
Hu Ma recognized the voice and instinctively turned his head. There, hiding behind the door, was Xiao Hong Tang, peeking out with just her little head.
He turned and started walking out of the courtyard.
Second Master was surprised. "Where are you going?"
Hu Ma quickly pointed to the door. "Someone’s looking for me. Maybe it’s Grandma."
"Grandma’s here?"
Second Master was taken aback. The other boys, who had been chattering excitedly, suddenly fell silent, their faces showing a mix of shock and curiosity as they whispered to each other:
"Did you see anyone?"
"No, they say the Hu family can see ghosts. Is he...?"
"Can’t be. He’s just scared of getting beaten, right?"
"..."
"Big Brother Hu Ma, why aren’t you coming out yet?"
Outside, Xiao Hong Tang’s voice grew more urgent. Hu Ma was taken aback but walked out. Second Master, concerned, followed him.
When they reached the gate, they saw a bamboo basket, about the size of Xiao Hong Tang, on the ground, covered with a red cloth. Xiao Hong Tang herself was nowhere to be seen. Second Master looked at the basket and sighed in relief. "It’s that girl. Go on!"
With that, he turned and walked back into the courtyard.
Hu Ma stood at the gate, and once Second Master was back inside, Xiao Hong Tang sauntered over.
Hu Ma hurried over and whispered, "Where’s Grandma?"
He had questions he needed to ask Grandma, and he was growing increasingly anxious.
He realized the issue might be serious, but he also felt it was something he couldn’t directly ask Second Master. It was better to ask Grandma.
"Grandma went into the mountains to look for someone."
Xiao Hong Tang squatted down, looking at the basket. "She sent me to bring you some food."
"Food?"
Hu Ma lifted the red cloth covering the basket and saw a large bowl of square-cut meat inside.
Blood Netherfiend.
Next to it was a plate with two large steamed buns.
"When will Grandma come back?"
Hu Ma stared at the bowl of meat, deeply aware of its importance.
"Grandma didn’t say."
Xiao Hong Tang, however, squatted opposite the basket, her hands supporting her cheeks, and looked up at Hu Ma. "But Grandma left a message for you."
"She said you should stay with Second Master and learn the skills. If you feel cold at night, don’t be afraid. Just eat the meat. Netherfiend meat can cure illnesses. Eat more, and your stove will burn even brighter than others..."
"But you’re still recovering, so don’t overexert yourself. Don’t get too tired..."
"..."
"..."
Xiao Hong Tang’s imitation of Grandma was adorable, but Hu Ma was too preoccupied. Her words, spoken through Xiao Hong Tang, made his heart sink.
Could Grandma have already predicted the problems he would face after lighting his stove?
Her message wasn’t random; it seemed more like a reassurance, a way to calm his worries.
His stove had no fuel and wouldn’t light up.
So, was she trying to reassure him, or guarantee that he would have Blood Netherfiend to eat every day?
Or did she mean that even though his body couldn’t automatically fuel the stove now, if he kept eating Blood Netherfiend, the stove would burn brighter over time, and his condition would gradually improve?
Maybe even better than others?
He couldn’t be sure, but looking at Xiao Hong Tang’s innocent and silly face, he knew he wouldn’t get any more answers from her.
She was just delivering the message and the food.
After a long silence, Hu Ma picked up the bowl and said to Xiao Hong Tang, "Tell Grandma I remember."
"Then eat!"
Xiao Hong Tang smiled, her eyes narrowing. "After you finish, Xiao Hong Tang needs to take the basket back for Grandma to check..."
"Xiao Hong Tang has been very good and hasn’t eaten any, even though..."
"..."
"I really wanted to."
"..."
Seeing Xiao Hong Tang’s pitiful gaze, Hu Ma nodded. "Yeah, I can tell!"
With that, he continued eating.
(End of Chapter)
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